Solution for climate change?

Thanks for the excellent August 5th Read in Ned column which, after giving a number of good resources for information on global warming, concluded, “human survivability is going to be compromised, perhaps, to the point of extinction.” This statement is certainly accurate, but it’s something very few people outside of the climate science community realize.

Swift and decisive action is imperative if we are to avoid the worst. It is long past time we stopped just reading about climate change and started doing something about it. The latest IPCC reports warn that we must make major greenhouse gas emissions cuts within the next 15 years or face “catastrophic” climate change.

We have a solution that will make those emissions cuts, and improve our economy at the same time: A carbon pollution fee on fossil fuels that returns that money, 100% of it, back to every American in a monthly rebate check. Raise the fee each year and people will use that rebate money to buy cheaper clean energy.

A recent REMI economic report says this revenue-neutral carbon fee-and-rebate plan can create 2.8 million new jobs and add $75-80 billion annually to GDP. Most people, especially low-income and middle-class Americans, will come out ahead financially on the monthly rebate plan.

In British Columbia, this plan has dramatically reduced CO2 emissions and their economy has thrived. Most economists across the political spectrum, including eight Nobel winners, support it.

The same carbon pollution fee on imports from countries like China would force them to cut their emissions to compete economically. This fee would also be rebated monthly, in its entirely, to all Americans, making U.S. products more affordable.

This plan can avoid the ruinous future costs of climate disaster projected in the recent Risky Business report and, beyond that, the “societal collapse” and even worse, the irreversible global warming the latest IPCC reports are warning about.

The Citizens Climate Lobby website has more information about the carbon fee-and-rebate plan. If you want to do something about climate change before it does something to you, contact your congressional representatives and tell them you support a revenue-neutral carbon fee. Better yet, get involved and start a Citizens Climate Lobby chapter in your area.